Jamaica and Cuba to sign multi-destination agreement

Cuba and Jamaica will sign an agreement this week for multi-destination tourism between the two countries.

Minister Edmund Bartlett (right) shares a light moment with his predecessor Dr. Wykeham McNeill at the opening of JAPEX 2016

Jamaica’s minister of tourism Edmund Bartlett announced at the opening of the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) this evening that he and his Cuban counterpart will sign the agreement on Friday of this week.

A similar agreement will be signed with the Dominican Republic in June, Minister Bartlett said.

The minister also announced that Jamaica will finally be in the timeshare business from tomorrow 1 May.

Timeshare registry will open from the first of May and we will then be open for business to bring new demographics and to bring in new arrivals into the destination, told the audience at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, which included the president of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association Nicola Madden-Greig, his predecessor Dr Wykeham McNiell and travel agents.

Minister Bartlett also announced plans to aggressively target new markets, including South America and Eastern Europe and to increase market share in north America.

This includes doubling the growth rate in the US market to five per cent this year over 2015 and working towards achieving double digit growth in the Canadian market.

JAPEX is the largest tourism trade show in Jamaica, bringing together a range of buyers and suppliers. There are 232 suppliers and 94 buyers for JAPEX 2016. This year’s show runs from 29 April to 1 May.

About the author

Solo Caribe

During the past 22 years Yndiana Montes has worked in numerous activities, including participation in trade fairs, conferences, media and regional tourism companies in order to make known to all of South America and Brazil, natural beauty and good practices the different actors in the Caribbean tourism industry. Sustainability actions of governments, communities, institutions and organizations are outlined here in Solocaribe.com, a media outlet serving the tourism industry, which for many years has been a pioneer in spreading throughout Latin America, Brazil and the Caribbean Likewise, the positive actions that take place in the region and promote sustainable development practices.